Flatiron attachment



March 1% HQBfi.

A. KOWALSKI 2,33,58@

FLAT IRON ATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 31, 1954 2 Sheets-$heet 1 INVENTOR, jgfgflwfi Sfi;

{W ATTORNEY.

A. KOWALSKI 2,33,5@

FLATIRON ATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 31, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention is an attachment for fiatirons, more especially of the self-heated type.

It is an object of this invention to provide means whereby a fiatiron may, at will, be elevated above the ironing-board, while momentarily out of use, without need of breaking the electric current of the heating unit, and thus reducing the hazard of fire or of injury to the goods being ironed.

While the device may if desired be directly incorporated in irons as first manufactured, it is here an object to provide it in the form of an attachment adapted to be readily attached to flatirons, already generally distributed in households 5 and industrial institutions, without requirement of skillful labor or any need of change in the iron.

A further object is to provide an iron elevator of substantial structure and easy operation and reliable action, and which is comfortable to the hand during use of the iron on laundry.

Another object is to provide an iron elevator which may be instantly actuated to elevate the iron-and as quickly tripped to lower the iron to ironing position, and which is totally devoid of any main or iron lifting spring.

The invention consists in certain advancements in this art as set forth in the ensuing disclosure and having, with the above, additional objects and advantages as hereinafter developed, and whose construction, combination and details of means, and the manner of operation will be made manifest in the description of the herewith illustrative embodiment; it being understood that modifications, variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the scope, principle and spirit of the invention as it is more directly claimed hereinbelow.

Figure 1 is a perspective of the device with the parts in iron elevating position.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional plan showing the main guide plate and parts associated therewith.

Figure 3 is a front end elevation of the elevator as applied to an iron; the parts being in position to permit ironing use of the iron, and

Figure 4 is a side view thereof.

Figure 5 is an elevational detail of the releasing sear and its support.

Figure 6 is a detail plan of means to attach the elevator to the iron.

The bodies of flatirons 2 now in general use have a handle support including a front arm 3 and a'rear arm 4 on the upper ends of which is secured the handle 5.

The elevator here shown includes a vertical,

main body plate 6 to the back of which is secured in any desired manner a fastener of suitable type by which the elevator is readily attached to the desired iron 2. The depicted fastener is in the form of a horizontal U-piece whose ears are perforated to receive a bridge piece or key I which is passed through the ears 3 after these have been adjusted over the handle arm 3; the key 1 having a set-screw 9 to jam firmly down on the arm 3 and thereby securely attach the device to the front arm of the handle.

Fixed to and spaced in front of the main plate 6 are upper and lower straps IElH and a central strip H2 is fixed to the plate 6 and forms thereat a runway for a post l3 whose lower end is fixed in a stiff cross-piece M from the ends of which there extend rearwardly a pair of elongated foot parts [5 to extend along the sides of an iron to a point beyond its center of gravity whereby to hold it stable in elevated position, as later described.

The upper end of the post l3 has a fixed thumb rest It and its front face is provided with a crossslot IT for the purpose of receiving a spur 18 which is bent laterally from a latch shank [9 which is pivoted at 20 on an out-turned lug 2| of the bottom cross-strap M, an expansion spring 22 being interposed between the lowerend of the latch IQ- and the near face of the strap I I whereby to constantly press the latch spur 3 onto the face of the post l3 in readiness to snap into the slot H in the post.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the iron in the pressing po sition and when the operator desires to stop pressing and wishes to elevate the iron to a safe position without cutting off the heating agent he grasps'the handle 5 (in the shown case in the right hand) and presses down on the thumb rest I 6 of post l3 at the same time with the result that the iron, with the affixed body plate 6, is lifted as the side feet l5 engage the laundry board, the relative movement of the post l3 and the latch spur 18 allowing the latter to snap into the slot H in the upper end of the now stationary post and take the load of the elevated iron and transmit it to the post and to its feet, the position of the parts then being as shown in Fi 1.

The release and descent of the iron is effected by a throw-off device here including a sear 23 slotted at 24 to receive and slide across the upper end of a bar 25 which is slidably guided on the main plate 6 and moves vertically along the central guide strip l2. A leaf 26 extends along the top of the iron handle 5 and is attached to the upper end of the sear bar 25. A suitable means for attaching the sear and the leaf to the bar is shown as comprising upper and lower, spaced through pins 2l' 28 between which lie the ends of the sear and the leaf.

Means are provided to coordinate movements of the bar and the post l3 relative to the main plate 6 and to carry the sear to an upper position near the upper end of the latch [9 when the iron is in the elevated position. Such means here includesa transverse lever 29 which is medially pivoted at 30 on the main plate strip [2 and has slotted ends 3| receiving respectively a pin I3 fixed to the post l3, and a pin 25 fixed to the sear bar 25, the lever being disposed and operating between the spaced cross-straps I 0--l I.

When the iron is in the elevated position (Fig. 1) the sear bar 25 has been moved up by the lever 29 and the post l3 has thereby been moved relatively down; the sear 23 being near the upper end of the latch 19 whose spur I 8 is now interlocked in the post slot [1, and the side feet I5 of the support are at a plane somewhat below the bottom face of the iron.

The operator causes the iron to drop to pressing position by merely lightly pressing the sear 23 forwardly against the near end of the elevated latch l9 to disengage it from the post slot I! in the supporting post [3; this action allowing the main guide member or plate 6 to slide down the post until the sole of the iron rests on the laundry support and at the same time the lever 29 is pulling down the sear bar 25 and allowing the leaf 26 to come to a position somewhat above the iron handle 5. Then the leaf and handle are squeezed in the hand until the feet l5 are fully raised and where the leaf will be in a position close to the handle and comfortable to the op- .erators hand during use of the iron.

There are no heavy spring reactions to be overcome by the operator and the only exertion is to close the hand around the handle 5 and the leaf 26 and by the thumb of the same hand press down on the thumb rest Hi to effect the elevation of the iron as occasion requires.

What is claimed is:

1. A fiatiron elevator including a cross-piece having side feet, a post fixed upright on said cross-piece and having a thumb rest, a frame device connected to the iron and in which the post is vertically operative, a lever pivoted on said device, means operatively connecting said lever'and the post for coaction on the frame device, an upright bar slidably mounted on said device, means connecting the bar and the lever for concurrent action, a latch means operative to lock the said post in a lowered position to sustain the iron elevated as to said feet, a grip member attached to the bar to facilitate upward movement of the said foot piece, and means carried by said bar to trip the latch for lowering the iron.

2. A flatiron elevator including a cross-piece having rearwardly extending side feet, a post fixed to and extending up from the cross-piece, a guide member having means for attaching it to the iron, a lever pivoted on said member and connected to said post to shift it on said member, a latch mounted on said member and interlockable with the post to hold the iron elevated, and a device slidably mounted on said member and connected to said lever for actuation therewith, a latch tripper carried by said device, and a leaf connected to said device and forming a hand grip to facilitate manual actuation of the train of parts in moving the feet to an elevated position at the sides of the iron during its use.

3. A flatiron elevator including a foot frame with a cross-piece over the point of the iron, a vertical post fixed on the cross-piece, a guide attachable to the iron and on which the post slides vertically, a lever pivoted between its ends on the guide, a device connecting one end of the, lever to said post for co-actuation, a snap latchz mounted on said guide and interlockable with the post in iron elevating position, and means to trip the latch to release the iron and including a bar vertically guided on the guide and operatively connected to one end of the lever and having a. shifting sear which is manually operative to trip the latch while this is in its effective iron elevating position; the bar having a hand grip part to facilitate rocking action of the lever to lift the. foot frame.

4. A flatiron elevator including a foot frame extending over the point of the iron, a post fixed on the said frame, a guide attachable to the iron and on which the post slides vertically, a lever pivoted between its ends on said post guide, a device connecting one end of the lever to the post for coactuation, a snap latch on said guide and interlockable with the post in iron elevating position, and means to trip the latch to release the ironand being vertically slidable on the said guide and connected to one end of the lever and including a manually operative sear engageable with the latch while this is in its effective iron elevating position, and a grip leaf extending from said means over, and one end of which rests freely on, the top of the iron handle.

5. An elevating device for fiatirons including a front cross-piece having spaced side feet, a guide member adapted to be removably attached to a front part of the iron, a post fixed to said cross-.

piece and vertically slidable on said member, a sear bar vertically slidable on said member and having a grip part extending over the iron ham-- olle, a latch means for interlocking the said post: and said member in iron elevating position, a sear mounted on said bar and operative to trip the latch, and a lever operatively connecting said bar and said post and pivoted on said member; said grip operative on said bar to rock the lever and thereby lift said post.

6. An elevating device for fiatirons including a main body attachable to the front end of the iron, a bar slidably mounted on said body and having a grip leaf overhanging the handle of an attached iron, an elevating support including a post slidably mounted on the said body and spaced side feet extending along the sides of the iron, latch means for connecting the post and said body in iron elevating position, means operatively connecting said bar and said post to raise said support, and a latch releasing sear mounted on said bar.

'7. A flat iron elevator having a mounting attachable to a part of the iron, a supporting foot means slidably mounted on said mounting to move the iron to an elevated position, means on the mounting to latch the foot means in iron elevating position, a bar, carrying latch tripping means, slidably provided on said mounting, and means connecting said foot means and the bar and whereby they are concurrently shifted on the mounting to lower or lift the foot means and said tripping means including a sear part movable at Will to release the latching means from iron sustaining position, and a hand grip part attached to said bar tofacilitate action of said connecting means.

8. A fiatiron elevator having means including a body for ready attachment to a fiatiron, a supporting member slidably mounted on the body to hold elevated an iron attached to the body and having a foot device on its lower end and a thumb rest on its upper end for manual pressure, a sliding element guided on said body and having a scar and provided with a grip part for hand rest, means connecting said element and said member for concurrent opposite actions, and means to secure said member in iron elevating position; said securing means being operative by the sear to release the elevated iron.

9. An elevator foot member having means for its attachment to the front end of a flatiron and providing for vertical relative movement between the foot member and. the fiatiron, said member having a rest for downward pressure of the thumb while the handle of the iron is grasped in one hand to effect a relative upward movement of the attached iron, and means for latching the iron in elevated position on said foot member; said attaching means including a clamp device to embrace a part of a fiatiron and a body part on which the foot member slides, and means mounted on said part and operative on the latch means to unlatch the elevated iron from the foot member.

ALEXANDER KOWALSKI. 

